Hymn Text Initiative, Kathy?
  • G
    Posts: 1,397
    Okay, since I am terrific at finding things for OTHER people to do, this thread and this quote
    Meanwhile there are no counterbalancing initiatives, to my knowledge
    and the fact that we, the members, rather than some hierarchy, ARE the CMAA, (or to be progressive should I say "we are CMAA" with no article? I digress...) and activities, (such as the planned pilgrimage to Rome, thank you Dr O'C,) prompts me to nominate Kathy as sole judge and jury of a CMAA Hymn Contest.

    Pick a theme, pick a situation, (Scattering, Benediction, etc.), pick the parameters (a choice of metric patterns, perhaps?), pick a deadline, we shall all publicize to the best of our ability, and commit to actually USE the text, (because that and the glory is probably all for which the winner can hope.)

    Save the Liturgy, Save the World!
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,499
    O sure, if folks agree. We could make it a Real Presence hymn, to any familiar tune in wide usage and in the public domain.

    It would be great to have a prize of SOME kind.
  • I'd suggest, with the strong talent pool of composers on this list, that we not reuse tunes, but also compete to write tunes for it.

    And encourage closet composers to try it!

    G & Kathy, thanks for this great thread.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,499
    Some of these contests are set up like this.

    1) Competition for a text set to a public domain tune
    2) Separate, later competition for an original tune to go with the text

    I'd be willing to work on the text half of something like this, or on a text-alone competition. My experience is that excellent texts are scarcer than excellent music.
  • MarkThompson
    Posts: 768
    Hmm, a Real Presence hymn. It's tough to fully rhyme the phrase, but I've actually done this exercise before:

    Master of lake, of pond, river, and air,
    Lord of the goose, of duck, teal, pheasants,
    Supernal Creator beyond compare:

    Give us now your living meal, peasants
    Who your dominions toil, and hope to share
    In the glory of your Real Presence.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,499
    Heh.

    The actual phrase would be optional.
  • Maureen
    Posts: 675
    Heh. Though you could argue that "peasants" is a fair translation of "plebs", as in "Laureata plebs fidelis".

    So are we going to do this thing? Shall we compete for a no-prize (ie, renown alone), or perhaps for a nice mug?

    More seriously... can we get somebody to check the theology of the lyrics, if we do it? (Preferably in time for people to amend their entries.)